Solar power News

As with rival electric vehicle (EV) maker Tesla, after making some progress in the EV market with the Nissan Leaf, Nissan is now setting sights on the home with batteries and solar panels to form a complete home energy solution.

Beijing -
China's National Energy Administration announced on April 24 that the country had installed 9.65 gigawatts (GW) of new solar photovoltaics (PV) capacity which is up 22 percent on the same period a year ago and beyond analysts' predictions.

Berlin -
A new study shows how nanostructuring can increase the efficiency of metal-free photocatalysts by factor 11. This development is important for solar-to-hydrogen conversion and boosting energy efficiency.

Boston -
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have developed a remarkable battery that can capture solar energy and then store the energy to be used as heat at a later point in time. The energy is released on exposure to light.

The 3D printing of meshes will be of great advantage to manufacturers of solar cells, together with a range of other applications. Researchers have announced a new approach for the 3D printing of nanofiber meshes.

San Juan -
Puerto Rico is looking to rebuild its electric grid long-term and is considering Tesla's suggestion about scaling its microgrid technology using batteries and solar power, thereby transforming the island's energy infrastructure.

Prescott -
Germany-based Sonnen GmbH is partnering with Arizona home builder Mandalay Homes on a community solar photovoltaic project of 2,900 homes in Prescott, designed to act as a virtual power plant.

San Juan -
On September 20, powerful Category 4 Hurricane Maria made a direct landfall on the U.S. island territory of Puerto Rico. Two weeks later, 90 percent of the island is without power and few have clean drinking water. But the world is responding with help.

Millions of Florida residents lost power after Hurricane Irma raged through the state. But homeowners with solar energy installations couldn’t use them during the outage because they would be breaking the law.

New Delhi -
Indian Railways is the largest rail network in Asia and a huge consumer of diesel fuel. However, this is all about to change with the debut in New Delhi of it's Diesel Electric Multiple Unit (DEMU) with solar powered coaches.

A spray-on or printable thin film technology could revolutionize the fast-growing solar power market further, including connecting in with digital transformation projects. Big players like Panasonic and Fujifilm are investing heavily in this area.

Australian researchers have made progress towards developing carbon neutral fuel. This is due to a new catalyst which can converts carbon dioxide from the air into a synthetic natural gas, using solar energy.

New Delhi -
Something quite amazing is happening in India today. From being a nation dependent on coal for its energy needs, and one of the world's biggest greenhouse gas producers, India has embraced solar power and the technology is transforming the country.

As with many things battery powered drones have a finite time to function after which the power runs out. One means to make longer flights possible is with the application of solar power. This has been looked at by the Naval Research Laboratory.

Solar power is an amazing source of energy, and now, that energy has been used to produce water from the air in low humidity conditions. The device could change the lives of millions of people around the world where water is scarce.

Solar power technology is being tested to see how effectively it works with medical implants. The idea is to allow implants to become self-charging, avoiding the risk of breakdown or the need for invasive replacements.

Investment, in terms of time, money and scientific endeavor continues to rush into solar power as the push for renewable energy continues. In terms of scientific progress, a new record has been set for solar cell efficiency

What is described as a 'groundbreaking prototype' may be the answer to the storage challenge that is holding back solar back as a complete energy solution. This is a new type of electrode that could boost storage technologies by 3000 percent.

Glasgow -
Prosthetic limbs and bionics continue to advance, restoring mobility to patients who have suffered injuries. One new innovation is powering artificial limbs with energy derived from solar power.

Energy technologists have come up with a new method for safely and efficiently producing hydrogen at a central point, miles away from the solar farm. If commercialized this method will lower the cost of producing hydrogen and also for shipping it.

There are now 29 states in the U.S. with renewable energy initiatives, backed by residents who want to see more use of clean energy. Florida and North Carolina are two states where solar power is experiencing rapid growth.

Imagine if the windows in your home were able to collect energy and covert this into power to run your heating or home appliances, leading to annual energy cost savings. Such a technological feat is becoming closer. We take a look at the latest research.

A "solar revolution" is coming to Africa, comparable in scale to the rapid increase in mobile phone use on the continent two decades ago, according to the head of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Much of the energy around us is wasted, such as the sunlight around us or the movements we make. What if this could be harnessed to create power to drive wearable devices and portable systems? Researchers have been looking into this.

The solar power systems were constructed by NASA and Florida Power & Light Company as part of a public-private partnership that promotes a clean-energy future. This site located on 10 acres produces about one megawatt of electricity for Kennedy to use.